2026/02/23 by Peter Ross, Samantha Scott, Alex LaForce +1 · 1 voice
paper · doi:10.70766/3744.26
openalex publication_date 2026/02/23 · openalex created_date 2026/02/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Water is essential for life, and steps are needed to understand, protect and restore its health in fish habitat throughout British Columbia. The Raincoast Healthy Waters program was launched in 2023 to establish community-oriented water pollution monitoring in select BC watersheds. Two Healthy Waters sampling events take place every year in each watershed, the first in the dry season (summer), and the second being in the wet season (winter). This report highlights results from the first wet (winter) season sampling carried out with the support and participation of the Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) and Nooaitch Indian Band (NIB). Briefly, the Healthy Waters – LNIB- NIB team determined basic water properties (temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity) in situ at sampling sites on February 1, 2024, and February 8, 2024. Water samples were collected from three water categories, including source water (1 sample), stream and river water (3 samples), road runoff (1 sample). Samples were then pooled into composite samples and analysed for coliform, metals, nutrients and physical parameters, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), alkylphenol ethoxylates, bisphenols, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sucralose, and 6PPD-quinone.